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GE U50C
Bio The GE; General Electric; U50C is a type of large 5,000hp twin-engine (consisting of two 2,500hp engines combining at a total of 5,000hp) six-axle AC-traction diesel locomotive built from 1969 to 1971 (though retired during the same years during production, while some were part of an order which was never fully fulfilled). Twenty-six U50s were built: 23 for the Union Pacific and three for the Southern Pacific. UP was the only buyer of the U50C with 40 purchased. Both types were some of the largest locomotives owned by those railroads. Like the original U50, it was basically two U25B units combined on a single carbody; though the original had combined sets of trucks or bogies unlike the U50C. All units have been scrapped, so none exist anymore. History The GE U50C was a revolutionary type of diesel locomotive produced by GE; being one of the largest types as well as being a type of "double-diesel" twin engined model; which was first produced by their long-time rival, EMD with their revolutionary DD35 eight-axle model. Like the EMD "Double-Diesel" super-powered diesel locomotive types (DD35 and DDA40X), they consisted of having twin engines and were very reliable, but were often plagued with issues and problems which resulted in a short-lived lifetime. Although popular with the Union Pacific, its long-time rival; Southern Pacific, grew interested in using the unique type of diesel locomotive to be compatible with their three U50 (or U50B) units to haul various heavy-haul trains across the SP's Mojave Subdivision. Yet, the order was never fulfilled (as seen below). The type of locomotive proved to be successful at first because of its unique (yet odd) design, but eventually suffered from countless issues and problems involving the cab safety; and its unusual design was disliked by many railroad employees, as well as engine reliability being very poor which caused them to retire after only a few years of service, while some orders were even cancelled when GE applied UP and SP paint coats and numbering right at the last second (to whom these served as demonstrators as a result of a trade-in from the UP before ultimately being scrapped; besides the unfinished SP units became used as a basis for the U30C and other succeeding single-engined types or models). They were some of the most short-lived diesel locomotives owned by the UP and SP, as well as being some of the most unsuccessful locomotive types produced by GE (their failure resulted in malfunctioning traction motors, crankshaft failures, high fuel consumption, and faulty wiring). U50 (or U50B) The U50 was a similar, yet preceding type of counter-part of the U50C which used a unique axle arrangement of having a B+B-B+B combined sets of four-axles used for steering on steep curves for heavy-duty freight service on the Union Pacific and Southern Pacific railroad systems. Only three were purchased by the Southern Pacific (often nicknamed "Baby Hueys" after the cartoon character of the same name), and were used until 1973-1974 when they became officially retired; not long after the UP retired their fleet of 23 units in 1971-1972. Although the SP favored their U50 units more than the Union Pacific did (as a result of the U50C's failure, the UP began to dislike GE's quality for such types); they opted not to purchase anymore parts to update and maintain their original U50 units because of high maintenance costs, high fuel consumption, and they feared that they would be deemed to not last nearly as long as their standard, single-engined types of power owned from various builders such as ALCO and EMD (as well as past subsequent GE single-engined types from). The type itself, was also basically two U25B units combined on a single carbody. Facts *Turbocharged locomotives like the U50C were built to haul long, and heavy freights over Union Pacific's long routes throughout places such as Cheyenne, Wyoming to Salt Lake City, Utah. *The GE U50C is part of GE's "Universal Series" of locomotives, which were and are often nicknamed "U-Boats" by railfans. *The GE U50 is a four-axle B-B version of the U50C, which shared the same fate as its counterpart. *The U50C has convertable twin AC/DC-powered engines like the DDA40X and DD35, only with smaller twin engines. (Which, of couse, were unreliable.) *Several parts of U50 and U50C units were actually used to build some of the early U30C units built as well as other numerous types of succeeding "Universal Series" diesel locomotives built after. *Although part of the "Universal Series" or line of diesel locomotives built by GE, the UP often considered the U50 and U50C as being part of their own unique series or own unique types of diesels due to their design, performace, capabilities, and the fact that both types were AC-traction powered; a rarity for North American diesel locomotives at the time. Category:Diesel Locomotives Category:GE Locomotives Category:AC-traction Diesel Locomotives Category:Unique Locomotives Category:Rare locomotives Category:Union Pacific locomotives Category:SP locomotives Category:American Locomotives